Alex Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 So not so much a favourite as a decent bargain. Purchased to stay in the boot of the spitfire with a set of spanner’s. £25 and usual Halfords pro quality…. In fact identical to my original pro set from 25+ yrs ago. Now they charge more to write advanced on them. For £25 you can’t go wrong! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 I really like my Lidl impact wrench. It may not be top quality, but it has a fair amount of grunt, and is great for taking wheel nuts off and getting long bolts off the car. Makes short work of our Hondas subframe bolts. Can recommend for about £60 all in. Trouble is then you get tempted by other tools that share the battery, so now have a circular saw (fab for cutting floorboards when lifting floors) a multi tool for all sorts, and a drill that lives in the garage. Probably some other bits too. FWIW I just bought a socket set, the same as Alex's. Just under £20 with a tradecard.I also spend about £8.50 on a set of their screwdrivers which are very good. I need a few other odds and ends to build up a toolkit for our dolomite. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) "2 year guarantee"?? That's very poor for Halfords! Their Professional range has - or had - a lifetime guarantee - your lifetime! Edited February 2, 2023 by JohnD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 5 hours ago, JohnD said: "2 year guarantee"?? That's very poor for Halfords! Their Professional range has - or had - a lifetime guarantee - your lifetime! But as I said this isn’t a pro set it’s a basic range. It just happens to look the same as my original pro set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 My favourite tool?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosbif Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 18 minutes ago, Velocita Rosso said: My favourite tool?? The one I've got is showing signs of wear after all the years of (mis)use and neglect. I'm keeping an eye out for a good second hand one on e bay . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 I'm about to find out if Halfords will honour their guarantee! I have a short, 3/8" ratchet extension that has a spring loaded ball bearing in the tip to retain the socket. The spring is released by a small button on the shaft - and the button has broken! The part is from the 'Professional' range, so next time I go into H's I'll see what they have to say and report back. Sad to say, VR, I got mine from a different supplier, who offers only a lifetime guarantee that is allied with taxes. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 1 hour ago, JohnD said: I'm about to find out if Halfords will honour their guarantee! I have a short, 3/8" ratchet extension that has a spring loaded ball bearing in the tip to retain the socket. The spring is released by a small button on the shaft - and the button has broken! The part is from the 'Professional' range, so next time I go into H's I'll see what they have to say and report back. Sad to say, VR, I got mine from a different supplier, who offers only a lifetime guarantee that is allied with taxes. John I believe you have to provide the receipt of purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 4 hours ago, Alex said: I believe you have to provide the receipt of purchase. Just back from Halfords. Showed the part to the guy on the till, explained it was from my 'Professional' set. "OK!" No questions, no referral to the manager, no request for 'proof of purchase'. We went straight to the locked display cabinet of Halfords "Advanced" tool sets. He takes out a set of extensions, takes out the one that matches mine and hands it to me! He did ask me to sign a receipt, but I was on my way in a few minutes. Halfords "Lifetime" guarantee on their 'Professional', now 'Advanced', tools is completely genuine. That extension was at least 20 years old. John 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannyb Posted February 4, 2023 Share Posted February 4, 2023 On 02/02/2023 at 22:41, Clive said: I really like my Lidl impact wrench. Well impressed with mine when it undid my crank nut. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 I got my impact wrench long before cordless electric ones were a thing, it's a CP734H: I noticed a couple of weeks ago when stripping some Spitfire rear hubs/shafts down it seemed a bit gutless. So I ordered a tune up kit and last night stripped it down, cleaned it and renewed the motor vanes, o-rings, seals and re-lubricated it. It's back to kicking like a mule now. That's what I like about branded tools - I can get spares and give them a new lease of life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 10 minutes ago, yorkshire_spam said: I got my impact wrench long before cordless electric ones were a thing, it's a CP734H: I noticed a couple of weeks ago when stripping some Spitfire rear hubs/shafts down it seemed a bit gutless. So I ordered a tune up kit and last night stripped it down, cleaned it and renewed the motor vanes, o-rings, seals and re-lubricated it. It's back to kicking like a mule now. That's what I like about branded tools - I can get spares and give them a new lease of life. Chicago stuff is great. I had a couole of cheapy air impacts, which worked OK, but a squirt of engine oil down the air intake to get max torque. Must say I do prefer the freedom with battery impacts, though true to form mine is a tightwad version. I quite fancy a battery ratchet, but they seem a bit chunky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 5 minutes ago, Clive said: I quite fancy a battery ratchet, but they seem a bit chunky. I have a couple of air ratchets, a 3/8" and 1/2" - neither get used very often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 10, 2023 Share Posted February 10, 2023 Air-powered Impact wrenches, whizzyguns, really are 'a bit chunky', but modern cordless power wrenches are little more than their manual powered cousins and the same as a torque wrench for size: Sealey Power Speed Ratchet 3/8" Sq | Halfords UK This is a Sealey product, sold by Halfords. As above, if it had the Halfords 'Advanced' label, I'd buy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Anyone know how to check or recalibrate a torque wrench? I have a second hand Draper 3001A, but I want to be certain it is accurate. Any ideas? Cheers Craig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 Easy, Craig! Hang the wrench from a bench vice by the square drive, handle horizontal. Like below. Take a known weight mass and hang it from the handle. Move the strap outwards until the wrench clicks. Measure the distance from the strap to the drive square, multiply that by the mass. That is the torque the mass has exerted - does it match the setting? John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 9 hours ago, Craig said: Anyone know how to check or recalibrate a torque wrench? I have a second hand Draper 3001A, but I want to be certain it is accurate. Any ideas? Cheers Craig I have done similar to John, but used bathroom scales so I could try different settings. Same maths equation applies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 How did you use scales, Clive? With the above method, different settings may be tested by using different weights, OR with the same weight by extending the handle. A length of tube over it can be any length you want, so that distance part of the arithmetic is different. John 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 2 hours ago, JohnD said: How did you use scales, Clive? With the above method, different settings may be tested by using different weights, OR with the same weight by extending the handle. A length of tube over it can be any length you want, so that distance part of the arithmetic is different. John Torque wrench in teh vice same as yours. Set to (say) 50Nm. Measure the length of the wrench, and to keep it simple here I will say 1/2m So I would expect the wrench to "click" when I apply 10kg (1kg=10N) via the scales. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 Thanks for the answers. I will give this a go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 19 hours ago, Clive said: Torque wrench in teh vice same as yours. Set to (say) 50Nm. Measure the length of the wrench, and to keep it simple here I will say 1/2m So I would expect the wrench to "click" when I apply 10kg (1kg=10N) via the scales. Ah! You hold the scales below the handle and lift up? Might be difficult with a ratcheted wrench, if the weight of the handle overcame the ratchet spring. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 8 minutes ago, JohnD said: Ah! You hold the scales below the handle and lift up? Might be difficult with a ratcheted wrench, if the weight of the handle overcame the ratchet spring. John You can put the handle upright. Up or down. You could use baggage scales, or even a fishing scale. Anything that is pretty accurate for weight. just zero the scales for the orientation you use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkshire_spam Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 Another method I've used is either a known good TR or a beam deflection type (less likely to go out of cal.) linked together with one held in the vice - pull and make sure you get the same readings / click matches the deflection reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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